It is known in the art relating to roller cam followers, such as roller hydraulic valve lifters and finger followers to provide a steel roller bearing shaft supporting a cam follower roller and retained in laterally spaced shaft bores in a follower body. To prevent lateral motion of the shaft, it is selectively hardened to maintain the ends soft enough to be deformed by a riveting tool which locks the shaft in position in the follower body shaft bores. The method not only requires selective hardening of the roller shaft but occasionally causes deformation of the follower body, requiring a finished part to be scrapped.